ATHENS, Ga. --- Ernie Banks immortalized the baseball phrase "let's play two." Sanders Commings would like to bring a similar sentiment back to Georgia.
The former two-sport star at Westside High School would like to reprise roles in both football and baseball for the Bulldogs this year.
"I want to play both sports," the redshirt freshman defensive back said. "I talked to (baseball) coach (Dave) Perno and told him I wanted to come out to give it a try."
It's certainly an ambitious goal during an era of roster limits. But it's also enticing for qualified players when they see Louisiana State's Jared Mitchell and Chad Jones win national championship rings in both sports.
Commings had plenty of options coming out of Westside. Tennessee recruited him as a wide receiver. South Carolina dangled the option of choosing offense or defense. Georgia zeroed in on him as a defensive back. The Arizona Diamondbacks also made him a late-round draft pick.
Both Georgia and South Carolina said they would let him moonlight in baseball. Commings picked the Bulldogs.
"Georgia has a good tradition of defensive backs and I wanted to do that," he said.
As a true freshman, Commings saw action in the first three football games before injuring his shoulder. The coaches decided to redshirt him for the rest of the season. Commings, who also missed five games his senior season in high school because of a cracked fibula, passed on baseball this spring to concentrate on getting healthy and ready for the 2009 football season.
"I really came here for football and wanted to really focus on the spring," he said. "Since I'm on a football scholarship I wanted to make sure everything was good over here."
Commings is listed on the depth chart as the backup short cornerback behind sophomore Brandon Boykin and the primary nickel back.
"I can't wait," he said of the upcoming season. "It's been awhile since I've played a full season. Hopefully this year I can. I'd like to stay healthy."
If all goes well, he would like to put on a Bulldogs baseball uniform in 2010 and take a spot in center field. He still throws in his spare time to "try to stay tuned into baseball." He and sophomore receiver Israel Troupe are eyeing the two-sport option that currently only Geno Atkins (football and shot put) is fulfilling.
Gerald Barnes believes his former star has what it takes to do both. He should know: He coached him in both sports at Westside.
"He's a mighty good baseball player," Barnes said. "He's got skills and can run. If he was a straight-up baseball player he'd have a chance to have a career there."
Playing both football and baseball is a tough combination in this age of more specialized athletes. The last Westside player Barnes coached who played both in college was Jason Ross, who signed with Hawaii and played both sports before getting drafted by the Braves and making it as far as Triple-A professionally.
"It's hard to be a two-way player," Barnes said. "It's uncommon. But he's in that category of being someone who can do it."
It didn't use to be that unusual at Georgia. Charley Trippi played both from 1942-46, when two-sport athletes were almost the norm. Buck Belue, who quarterbacked the Bulldogs to their last national championship, played both sports from 1978-81.
But it hasn't been done regularly since defensive back and outfielder Erik Robinson from 1994-96.
Commings believes he can handle it if given the chance.
"I've been playing them both since I was young," he said.
Said Barnes: "When he was playing football, he loved playing football. Then when he was playing baseball he loved that. He just loved competing and playing no matter which one it was."
For now that love is concentrated on football, which pays his tuition, room and board. Commings said he wants to do his part to restore the Bulldogs' defensive reputation that lapsed with a slew of high-scoring games last season.
"Every team is going to have one of those years and last year it was us," he said. "Hopefully this year we can bounce back and show everybody that Georgia defense is still what it used to be. I want to do what I can to help the team win the SEC and national championships."
As for personal goals this fall, Commings just wants "to get my name out there."
If he can play two, they'll be hearing it year round.
Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.
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Thank you Scott for ANOTHER informative and interesting article on one of Augusta's fine young athletes...He appears to be a fine young man with a very bright future. Keep up the excellent work Mr Cummings!
Great article Scott....Mr. Commings is a great guy and a very good athlete...Go Dogs.....He also had the best coach in Georgia history for both sports in Gerald Barnes